This week’s featured nursery is “whale-y” cute! A neutral, whale-themed space filled with unique touches—all designed for mommy and daddy’s newborn baby boy.

Designed by CCN reader Holly M. and her husband, this whale theme came about thanks to a shared love of beluga whales. Without overdoing it, these new parents created a themed, serene space for their newborn baby boy featuring a few custom items and some great finds. Check out all the details after the jump!

There are two great advantages to DIY projects for the nursery. First, you have the opportunity to make something yourself —giving the room a more unique and personal feel. And second, you can same some cash and splurge on the things you really want! Blair from The Ellwood Avenue Chronicles put together this lovely room for her soon-to-be-here baby girl, achieving the perfect balance between DIY projects and splurge items to create a vintage teacup-inspired nursery.

Neon is the trend of the season. It’s popping up everywhere from fashion to interior design — and boy, do we love it! Neon decor is funky and fun, and goes so well in kids’ spaces. Check out this room designed by Jenni Juurinen, a set designer from Finland. The neon pink lockers and the neon green and blue storage bins really pop against the white wall! Two very distinct pieces — from very different periods — the side table and wire chair, were given the same shade of yellow to create a harmonious seating area.

Frame it, baby! We recently shared with you some adorable gallery wall ideas for the nursery, and then I came across this image buried in one of my Pinterest boards and I thought, “Well this is a great idea!” These linen display frames are from Pottery Barn Kids (unfortunately, they’re no longer available) but you could definitely make a few at home! You would probably need a cork board with a white frame, a linen rectangle cut to size, and pins.

This is pretty awesome. It’s a recessed electrical outlet ($14), so your plugs don’t stick out and you can place your furniture directly up against the wall. I want one — or twelve!

Monogram pillows are pretty popular in nurseries and kids rooms. There are lots of wonderful options out there for personalized pillows but it’s always so much more fun to make it yourself if you can! Amy from Positively Splendid made this custom monogram pillow for her porch and she’s sharing all the details on how she did on her site.

The talented girls over at Sissy + Marley have done it again! Their latest nursery design project was featured on Little.Lovely. yesterday, and guess what? We love it! The gray and white nursery is modern, fresh, and eco-friendly — filled with custom artwork, Oeuf furniture and a Monte rocker.

This modern lavender nursery comes from CCN reader Stacie M. of Encinitas, CA. She wanted to create a unique space for her new baby girl in her new modern home that was simple and sweet, but not too girly. This bird-themed nursery is fresh and modern — without feeling too “themey.” This new mama managed to find a few bird-themed decor pieces that fit perfectly into the room, and she also created some custom prints to hang above the changing area (and in the adjacent bathroom) to decorate her little girl’s walls. They’ve got a retro vibe going on — and we dig it!

We featured Jude’s modern, woodland-themed nursery way back in 2010. It was one of the first nurseries we featured. Now, Jude is a growing toddler and soon-to-be big brother, which meant that it was time to give him a big boy room. Katie, Jude’s mom, designed a room that’s traditional yet modern, with a bit of whimsy, that will accommodate him perfectly as he continues to grow.

Child’s Name: Jude
Child’s Age: 2
Location: Fishers, IN

What was your inspiration for the room?
I fell in love with the speedboat bed from Pottery Barn Kids, and everything kind of went from there. I probably would have done a nautical theme even without the bed. I LOVE stripes and primary colors!

Describe your decorating style.
I tried not to get too stuck in my theme. I definitely pulled from the nautical idea, but I didn’t want it to overwhelm the space. I like to keep things fairly simple, colorful and a tad eclectic without (hopefully) leaving the space too chaotic when I’m finished. I was dying to refinish a dresser in a bold yellow or red color, but my husband wouldn’t go for it.

Favorite Items: Definitely the boat bed and alphabet wall.How did you make that stunning alphabet wall?
The alphabet was made by nailing THREE packages of nails into the wall and winding embroidery floss around them to create the letters.Make sure you have a well thought out plan of action before you put a zillion holes in your wall! It will be worth it if you do!

Owls are still super popular when it comes to nursery design and all things baby. We get it! They’re cute and go well in a boy or girl’s nursery. One of our most popular featured nurseries is this whimsy owl nursery for a baby girl — and we thought it would be such a treat to round up 9 of our favorite owl finds for girls!

Michelle Dupuis is a photographer and new mama — and she’s also a DIY warrior if you ask us! Michelle tackled lots of handmade projects in order to put together a room that she and her new baby boy could enjoy together and grow in — filled with love and lots of vintage finds. Check out Abe’s eclectic and cheerful space!

Child’s Name: AbrahamChild’s Age: 13 monthsLocation: Minneapolis, MN

What was your inspiration for the room?
The nursery is at the northwest corner of our house, so it was always a little bit dark. We wanted it to be bright and cheerful, and we wanted a room that could grow with our son, so we painted the walls white and introduced pops of color with the toys, art, and textiles we chose. We figured that it would be easier to replace the bedding and other accessories, rather than completely redecorate the room, to keep up with his current interests as he gets older.

Describe your decorating style.
Vintage Modern – We like bright spaces and clean lines, and often mix old pieces with new.

Favorite items in the room.
I think the sheep mobile is my favorite thing in the nursery. Abe loves it too. We also love all the handmade blankets, artwork, and other gifts our friends made for Abe. They’re a nice reminder of the people we love.

Advice for other mamas-to-be designing a nursery.
Make something special for your baby! (Pinterest and Etsy are great sources for inspiration.) Even if you’re not very crafty, it’s totally worth the time and effort spent trying something new. You’ll never regret having a piece that you can show to your little one and say “I made that for you!”

Keep scrolling for room resources…

Room Resources.

Paint Color:Benjamin Moore China WhiteCrib: Kendall Fixed Gate Crib from Pottery Barn Kids ($400)Sheets and Crib Skirt: Dwell Studio for TargetCrib Quilt: I made the crib quilt from a vintage sheet that belonged to my grandmother.Sheep Mobile: I designed and made this sheep mobile when I was about 6 months pregnant. It was a fun little project!Ring Stacker: I made this from a pattern by Heather Bailey.Bookshelf: TargetVintage Metal Locker Bins: Flea marketBlocks: I made these using a tutorial from Martha Stewart.Vintage Toys: eBay, flea marketsKnit Bird & Nest: Handmade, gift from friend, pattern by Susan B. AndersonKnit Frog: The first thing I ever knitted that wasn’t a scarf or a blanket! Pattern by Susan B. Anderson.Quilt on Chair: Handmade, gift from a friendCrochet Blanket: Handmade, gift from a friendYellow Toy Bin:TargetVintage Toy Box: From my childhood homeDresser: My husband and I refinished my old dresser. We scored the vintage glass hardware on Craigslist!Artwork: Giraffe – Rollover Designs on Etsy ; Rhinos – Avalisa; Chair with Balloon – L.B. Stewart, Snorkel Scrapbook Paper – Cosmo Cricket; Solar System Growth Chart – eeBoo; Birth Announcement – photographed and designed by MichellePicture Frames:IkeaPirate Robot:Oh DierShelves:IkeaWall Lamp:IkeaBaby Book:Rag & BoneOther Toys:Manhattan Toy, Plan Toys, Viking Toys, HabaRug:Ikea

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Would you like to see your nursery creation featured here on Chic & Cheap Nursery? Shoot us an email with a few images of your room to contact [at] chiccheapnursery [dot] com.